The head of the National Democratic Congress Legal Directorate has justified the party’s decision to petition the Inspector General of Police for the arrest of Bryan Acheampong over his "no handing over power" comment.

Abraham Amaliba said the Agric Minister has a track record of masterminding some of the violent activities which were perpetrated in the country during some elections.

On the back of this, he said any comments of that sort passed by Bryan Acheampong must not be taken lightly.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Top Story on Tuesday, he said “Bryan Acheampong has a history, I heard my very senior make the comments that it was mere political talk no.

"If it were anybody in the NPP probably you could say yes but Bryan has been fingered by the Emile Short Commission for being the one behind the deployment of the hoodlum who made maimed people at the Ayawaso West Wuogon.”

He explained that in 2019 during the Awayaso West Wuogon by-elections, the armed men indicated that a similar act of violence would occur – which did, justifying the disturbance at Techiman South elections in 2020.

“Those same boys when they were engaged in those acts said 2020 a similar thing will happen. A similar thing happened in Techiman South so the person we are talking about has the history, he has a penchant for violence and that is the reason why there is so much focus and attention on him,” he told host, Evans Mensah.

He added that the petition the party filed was similar to that of the arrest conducted on the Suame youth organiser, “his comment has the potential of breaching the peace we are enjoying and clearly there is a section in our criminal offences act that could be used to deal with that offence.”

Prior to his comment, the NDC led by Abraham Amaliba petitioned the Criminal Investigate Department and the Inspector General of Police over the Abetifi MP, Bryan Acheampong’s ‘not handing over power to the NDC’ comment.

Per the petition, the NDC called for the arrest and prosecution of the Minister for Food and Agriculture over what they described as “reckless, dangerous, instigation and unparliamentary comments.”

This follows the minister on Saturday while addressing party delegates noted that the current NPP will not hand over power to the NDC.

According to the party, interpreting Mr Acheampong’s statements means that the NPP has conceived a grand scheme to subvert the will of the people of Ghana in the 2024 election and any attempt to resist them would be met with violence.